]]>Thu, 8 Dec 2016 13:49:00 PSTAndersonville's Women & Children First gets Ann Patchett loveHeidi Stevenshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-ann-patchett-women-children-first-chicago-balancing-1208-20161208-column.html
Women & Children First — Andersonville's little bookstore that could (and does) — got an early holiday gift this week when author Ann Patchett included it in a list of her favorite bookstores around the country.

]]>Thu, 8 Dec 2016 09:46:00 PSTHow do you get your kids off their phones? First, look in the mirrorHayley Tsukayamahttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-parents-kids-screen-time-20161208-story.html
Want to get your kids off their phones and back into the real world? A new study suggests that before you launch into the lecture about how you only see the tops of their heads these days, you may want to take stock of what your own technology habits are telling your kids.

Parents are spending...

]]>Thu, 8 Dec 2016 11:22:00 PST10 meme themes of 2016Randi Stevensonhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-the-best-memes-of-2016-20161128-story.html
In 2015, the internet gave birth to "Netflix and Chill" and the revelation that any misfortune – no matter how minute – calls for a healthy dose of Michael Jordan tears.

Memes continued to reign supreme in 2016, but with a somewhat newsier twist. After all, it’s not every year America sees a presidential...

Some of the designers who clamored to dress first lady Michelle Obama have had mixed reactions about dressing Trump, a former model. Ford became the latest to weigh in on the matter during an...

]]>Thu, 8 Dec 2016 07:37:00 PSTYour Fitbit step count could soon be worth moneyDes Bielerhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-fitbit-step-count-could-soon-be-worth-money-20161208-story.html
Like many people recently, I have bought a Fitbit and am now motivated to reach 10,000 steps a day (which, ahem, is not the same as saying I will always attain that goal). However, I'm not the only one who might be interested in how many steps I take - my doctor and insurance company would surely...
]]>Thu, 8 Dec 2016 07:28:00 PST'Baby, It's Cold Outside' gets updated for the age of informed consentHeidi Stevenshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-baby-its-cold-outside-feminist-remake-balancing-1207-20161207-column.html
I can imagine a time when it seemed darling for a husband and wife to go around singing a little Christmas ditty about a randy man trying to seduce his reluctant date, as composer Frank Loesser and his wife, Lynn, apparently did in the 1940s.

And I can give thanks that I didn't live in that time.

...
]]>Wed, 7 Dec 2016 06:14:00 PSTU.S. life expectancy falls for first time in decades, types of death increaseMike Stobbehttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-us-life-expectancy-falls-type-of-death-increase-20161208-story.html
A decades-long trend of rising life expectancy in the U.S. could be ending: It declined last year and it is no better than it was four years ago.

In most of the years since World War II, life expectancy in the U.S. has inched up, thanks to medical advances, public health campaigns and better nutrition...

]]>Thu, 8 Dec 2016 06:49:00 PSTHow to tell someone you'd prefer not to do gifts this yearAndreea Ciulachttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-social-graces-gifts-charity-1213-20161207-story.html
Q: You've decided not to do Christmas gifts this year. How to do you tell family or friends that you would prefer to donate to charity or just skip gifts altogether?

You might choose to highlight where you're giving to bring some perspective to the situation. For example, "I learned about this...

But on other days, they're looking for something darker -- the parts of the Bible about the end...

]]>Wed, 7 Dec 2016 11:47:00 PST10 best bomber jackets for menVincent Boucherhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-10-best-bomber-jackets-fashion-1212-20161207-story.html
There's a high-flying attitude in menswear right now, with the bomber jacket trending as the style of the season.

Based on gear developed for airmen in World War II, many versions replicate the standard-issue MA-1 with its ribbed waistband, pocket flaps and sleeve zipper detail. Other designers...

]]>Wed, 7 Dec 2016 12:43:00 PSTRockford, Ill. light show, a ski deal in Galena and morePhil Martyhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-news-rockford-lights-midwest-events-travel-1218-20161201-story.html
Here are some of the more interesting events, deals, websites and other travel tidbits that have come across our desk recently:

•The banks of the Rock River in downtown Rockford, Ill., are aglow for the holidays with the Rockford River Lights. Each Friday and Saturday throughout December there...

]]>Wed, 7 Dec 2016 07:38:00 PST75 years after Pearl Harbor, Hawaii keeps war memories aliveJay Joneshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-pearl-harbor-75th-anniversary-travel-1129-20161117-story.html
For early risers at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel on Dec. 7, 1941, there was puzzlement. Why were all those airplanes flying so low over the water just off Waikiki Beach?

Even as the first Japanese bombs dropped on Ford Island, soldiers there figured they had missed the memo about some sort of drill.

...
]]>Wed, 7 Dec 2016 06:38:00 PSTParents of tweens, teens spend 9(!) hours a day staring at screensHeidi Stevenshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-parents-screentime-9-hours-per-day-balancing-1206-20161206-column.html
Parents of tweens and teens spend more than nine hours a day staring at screens, and more than seven of those hours are for personal — not work-related — reasons (social networking, watching TV shows, browsing websites).

Not only are more thieves lurking, shoppers' comfort with e-commerce is leading to risky behavior. A 2016 Holiday Shopping Survey, conducted this fall by global information services company Experian,...

]]>Tue, 6 Dec 2016 11:22:00 PSTWorld of Chocolate, a sweet fundraiser for AIDS FoundationCandace Jordanhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-sun-1211-candid-candace-2-20161206-column.html
Coinciding with World AIDS Day, the 15th annual World of Chocolate winter gala was held Dec. 1 at Revel Fulton Market in the West Loop. Over 1,100 guests came together to enjoy sweet and savory creations offered by 21 local chocolatiers, restaurants and caterers to benefit the AIDS Foundation of...
]]>Tue, 6 Dec 2016 15:52:00 PSTDoctors slow to have end-of-life conversationsKay Manninghttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-end-of-life-health-1207-20161205-story.html
When the concept of paying doctors to help patients plan for end-of-life care first came up as part of health reform, opponents thumped it as a step toward "death panels" and "pulling the plug on grandma."

Advance care planning was scuttled then, but seven years later, it has been rather quietly...

]]>Tue, 6 Dec 2016 06:44:00 PSTChicago Symphony Orchestra to perform at opening of lavish Hamburg concert hallAmy S. Eckerthttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-hamburg-new-concert-hall-cso-travel-1213-20161201-story.html
Hamburg, Germany, will unveil its much-anticipated new concert hall in January, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will be there to celebrate.

There's plenty of reason for jubilation. The task of building the Elbphilharmonie (www.elbphilharmonie.de/en) — nicknamed "Elphi" — was something close...

]]>Tue, 6 Dec 2016 06:31:00 PSTPlacebo effect may be keeping us from getting new drugsErik Vancehttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-placebo-effect-may-be-keeping-us-from-new-drugs-20161206-story.html
Since the dawn of time, people have used ointments, powders and potions to try to improve their health. Many of these elixirs have been inert - lacking any property to actually heal illnesses or makes bodies stronger. Still, they persist because people believe they work, and the placebo effect...
]]>Tue, 6 Dec 2016 07:04:00 PSTTo get over a breakup, I went to a 'rage room' and smashed thingsAnna-Cat Brigidahttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-after-breakup-smash-things-at-rage-room-20161206-story.html
Dressed in a navy blue jumpsuit and a protective mask, I squared off against a champagne bottle, ready to smash it with a metal baton. I was at the Break Club in Buenos Aires, a "rage room" in which people pay to release stress by smashing bottles, old computer monitors and printers.

There are...

]]>Tue, 6 Dec 2016 09:40:00 PSTGrand Canyon backpack trip tells geologic story 2 billion years in the makingBrad Brananhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-backpack-trip-grand-canyon-20161206-story.html
When I first peered into the layer cake that is the Grand Canyon several years ago, I was surprised to spot a continuous strip of green between a grayish section and a red-brown one. "How could so much shrubbery grow in the desert Southwest?" I wondered as I stood at the edge of the South Rim. ...
]]>Tue, 6 Dec 2016 08:08:00 PSTYes, Virginia, there can be a black Santa. (And Amy Schumer can be Barbie.)Heidi Stevenshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-black-santa-amy-schumer-barbie-balancing-1205-20161205-column.html
Santa can be black, and Amy Schumer can be Barbie, and we can all just take a deep breath about who's portraying our fictional(!) icons.

For the first time in its 24-year history, suburban Minnesota's Mall of America — the mall-est of all malls — hired an African-American man to play Santa.

"We...

]]>Mon, 5 Dec 2016 09:24:00 PSTDating trends of Chicago universities analyzed. Do students agree?Jessi Rotihttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-dating-chicago-college-campuses-1205-20161205-story.html
Would you believe University of Chicago singles are the most chatty? The hottest singles attend Northwestern? Or that the least assertive daters go to DePaul?

They're all true, according to a user analysis by dating app Coffee Meets Bagel, which also looked at Loyola and the University of Illinois...

]]>Mon, 5 Dec 2016 08:37:00 PSTCruising the waterways of the czars in surprising, sprawling RussiaTerri Colbyhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-cruising-russia-waterways-of-czars-travel-1213-20161130-story.html
Three historic cathedrals, crowned by pristine white towers with golden domes, surround an open square. Hushed crowds of tourists edge their way past the tombs of royal dynasties, craning their necks to see the centuries-old religious art that covers every square foot of the soaring interiors. ...
]]>Mon, 5 Dec 2016 08:01:00 PSTIt's never too late to stop smokingSteven Reinberghttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-never-too-late-to-quit-smoking-health-1207-20161201-story.html
You're never too old to reap the health benefits of quitting smoking, a new study finds.

"Even participants who quit smoking as recently as in their 60s were 23 percent less likely to die during follow-up than those who continued to smoke into their 70s," said lead researcher Sarah Nash, who conducted...

]]>Tue, 6 Dec 2016 06:51:00 PST4 things depression-symptom checklists don't tell youNicholas Padiakhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-depression-essay-family-1206-20161201-story.html
Let's just get this out of the way up top: I have depression.

That doesn't mean that I'm weeping inconsolably as I write this. Or that I need an emergency visit from Clarence Odbody, AS2. And it doesn't mean that I'm just a sad guy.

It means that I have a diagnosable illness recognized by the medical...

]]>Thu, 1 Dec 2016 12:29:00 PSTEvery holiday has its own traditions - none better than the ones you make yourselfhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-2012-heidi-stevens-pink-christmas-20161205-storylink.html
Mon, 10 Dec 2012 22:00:00 PSTBest places to travel in Decemberhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-best-places-to-travel-in-december-20161130-photogallery.html
The holidays are here, which makes it the perfect time to travel. Whether you're looking for some snowy days or some sunny skies, here are the best places to travel in December, according to Travel + Leisure.
]]>Fri, 2 Dec 2016 07:43:00 PSTNew tradition: Ordering your Christmas tree onlineNara Schoenberghttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-fam-1201-christmas-tree-delivery-20161201-story.html
A native Chicagoan, Angie Randall doesn't have particularly fond memories of lugging Christmas trees home on city streets.

So last year, when she was six months pregnant and particularly dreading the ordeal, she did a little research online and found a service that would deliver a fresh Fraser...

]]>Thu, 1 Dec 2016 08:42:00 PSTMiserable at the holidays? You're not aloneHeidi Stevenshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-holiday-misery-loves-company-balancing-1204-20161201-column.html
From time to time, I'm invited to speak to groups of women about my work.

It's an honor and a privilege, and I usually end up crying because we start off on a neutral topic, like work-life balance, and end up swapping lessons we've learned from our mothers and our marriages and that one friend...

]]>Thu, 1 Dec 2016 11:14:00 PSTIntrepid trips for solo travelers, secret European villages and morePhil Martyhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-intrepid-solo-rei-adventures-travel-1206-20161129-story.html
Traveling solo on group tours can be costly when you factor in single supplements, but Intrepid Travel is easing the financial burden with three tours that are strictly for solo travelers. For lodging, the company will match you up with another member of the group. But, if you prefer your own room,...
]]>Fri, 2 Dec 2016 07:32:00 PSTWhy we get sick when the seasons changeShawn Gakhalhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-why-people-get-sick-family-0103-20161129-story.html
It starts out with a simple sneeze and a pounding headache while you're waiting in the glacial cold at the bus or train stop. You think it passes, but a couple of days later it still lingers, and you now feel a tickle at the back of your throat.

You take out your phone, tap the camera app and open...

]]>Tue, 29 Nov 2016 10:25:00 PSTHow to buy a wine fridgeJoseph Hernandezhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-wine-refrigerator-how-to-buy-cons-1201-20161130-story.html
You've been bitten by the wine bug in a big way. Bottles are stacking on your kitchen counter, you've started naming your wine keys, and you're on a first-name basis with a local merchant who specializes only in Champagne and sherry.

Welcome to the joys of collecting wine. As the eccentricities...

]]>Wed, 30 Nov 2016 11:46:00 PSTHow magnesium works to rev up your fitnessCasey Seidenberghttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-fitness-magnesium-health-20161202-story.html
My oldest son's basketball tryouts are looming this week. He cares deeply about making the team and asked me what he should do to prepare. I suggested he sleep and eat well before the tryouts, which may not have been the novel or life-changing answer he was seeking. I gather he was hoping for a...
]]>Fri, 2 Dec 2016 07:27:00 PSTOh, Christmas tree: Tips for choosing a tree for the holidaysBeth Bottshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-sun-1204-garden-morton-20161130-story.html
A Christmas tree lot is a swirl of fragrance and holiday dreams. Choose carefully for a tree that will stay beautiful and safe through the holidays, said Sharon Yiesla, plant knowledge specialist in the Plant Clinic at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle.

But what the report also states, if you read a little farther, is that good sex is a bigger deal.

On a list of factors deemed...

]]>Thu, 1 Dec 2016 09:06:00 PSTHow to react when someone is wearing the same outfit as you at a partyAndreea Ciulachttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-social-graces-same-outfit-1206-20161201-story.html
Q: You're at a party when you notice another guest sporting the same outfit as you. Should you go home and change, tactfully avoid your doppelganger or introduce yourself?

While seeing your outfit on another person may give you a moment of social anxiety or "How dare she/he" pique, there's no need...

That's the finding from a new study of nearly 200,000 children born in California between 2000 and 2012.

"The results of this study confirm...

]]>Thu, 1 Dec 2016 08:24:00 PSTHistory of Christmas still celebrated at California missionsJay Joneshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-christmas-at-california-missions-travel-1206-20161123-story.html
On the winter solstice, as the sun rises in the dip between two hills, the amazing accomplishment of some 18th-century priests becomes crystal clear. Through an open window at Mission San Juan Bautista, a brilliant beam of light enters, bathing the altar in gold before traveling directly up the...
]]>Thu, 1 Dec 2016 07:23:00 PSTFrank Lloyd Wright home that weathered Sandy moves from Jersey to ArkansasKELLY P. KISSELhttp://www.chicagotribune
A Frank Lloyd Wright house that was flooded by Superstorm Sandy in New Jersey is high and dry in Arkansas. And it's getting thousands of visitors as part of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. The Bachman-Wilson House, originally located in Millstone, New Jersey, was one of Wright's famed...
]]>Thu, 1 Dec 2016 07:59:00 PSTIn the era of viral, hostile videos, Illinois Holocaust Museum focuses on upstandersHeidi Stevenshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-michaels-racist-video-holocaust-museum-balancing-1130-20161130-column.html
We didn't need to witness a white woman yelling at people in a craft store to realize we're a long way from racial harmony in the United States. (Or Chicago, for that matter.)

]]>Wed, 30 Nov 2016 08:52:00 PSTInsulin prices skyrocket, putting many diabetics in a bindSerena Gordonhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-anger-over-high-insulin-prices-health-1207-20161130-story.html
Insulin, a life-saving medication used to treat diabetes, was discovered nearly 100 years ago, yet the price of the drug has now spiked by 700 percent in just two decades.

In early November, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, pointed out that certain insulins had risen from $21...

]]>Wed, 30 Nov 2016 09:54:00 PSTPrepper movement, while not mainstream, no longer just for doomsday outliersCheryl Stritzel McCarthyhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-survivalists-preppers-family-1206-20161130-story.html
'I wouldn't call myself a survivalist, just a realist," says "Craig," a financial analyst in Cincinnati. In his 30s, with a wife and baby, Craig keeps a cache of supplies in his basement: magnesium flint sticks for fire-starting, lightweight water filters, rechargeable flashlights, a portable 12-volt...
]]>Wed, 30 Nov 2016 08:21:00 PSTSt. Jude's fashionable fundraiser fights childhood cancerCandace Jordanhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-sun-1204-candid-candace-20161129-column.html
The 22nd annual St. Jude Fashion Show was held Nov. 20 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. The luncheon, emceed by NBC-5's Allison Rosati, attracted nearly 1,300 supporters and featured the popular "Dream a Little Dream" fashion show, an extensive raffle and silent auction,...
]]>Wed, 30 Nov 2016 10:07:00 PSTTarget's Who What Wear holiday collection is chic, affordableNikia Jefferson, Tribune Content Agencyhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-who-what-wear-for-target-offers-affordable-holiday-apparel-20161130-story.html
As you know, the "most wonderful time of the year" brings about a flurry of holiday party invites. And every year, we stand in our closets wondering what to wear as if the clothes from last year somehow disappeared (or in my case don't necessarily fit anymore). Then begins the scramble to find...
]]>Wed, 30 Nov 2016 07:46:00 PSTNew statues in Kansas commemorate Orphan Train movementDiana Lambdin Meyerhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-orphan-train-statues-concordia-travel-1206-20161129-story.html
A new bronze statue of a little girl sits on a sidewalk in Concordia, Kan. Her name is Miriam Zitur, and she's a darling little thing, about 6 years old with pigtails and bare feet.

Miriam is among the first of several dozen statues representing real children that are popping up on the streets...

]]>Wed, 30 Nov 2016 06:58:00 PSTIt's official: 2016 is the year of xenophobiaHeidi Stevenshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-xenophobia-word-of-the-year-balancing-1129-20161129-column.html
It's not just your imagination: 2016 really is the year of xenophobia.

Dictionary.com declared "xenophobia" its word of the year, based on search data and in-house discussions among editors and lexicographers.

"Xenophobia and other words tied to global news and political rhetoric reflected the...

]]>Tue, 29 Nov 2016 09:53:00 PSTStep inside — and back in time — at new hotel and upscale hostelJosh Noelhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-new-chicago-hotels-robey-hollander-travel-1218-20161129-story.html
For all of The Robey's elegant touches and urbane cool, the power of the hotel that opens Wednesday lies in a feature no modern-day designer could concoct: the location of the 87-year-old building.

Perched at one of the city's most notable intersections — Damen, North and Milwaukee avenues — The...

]]>Tue, 29 Nov 2016 10:42:00 PST4 winter skin tips for menBill Daleyhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-cons-1201-mens-skin-care-winter-20161129-story.html
Winter's arrival, for many guys, means scheduling a furnace inspection, checking the antifreeze in the car and, maybe, sending sweaters and coats out to the cleaners for a quick spruce-up. But what about your face? Let's face it, most guys don't want to be bothered.

Even with sunglasses, scarves,...

]]>Tue, 29 Nov 2016 13:27:00 PSTThe things they don't tell you about life after prostate surgeryGarret Mathewshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-prostate-removal-humor-family-1206-20161128-story.html
Editor's note: This past summer, Garret Mathews learned that his PSA (a protein produced by the cells of the prostate gland) was dangerously high. The best course of action was a radical prostatectomy to remove the organ as well as surrounding lymph nodes. This was done Nov. 1. Mathews, 67, penned...
]]>Tue, 29 Nov 2016 07:01:00 PSTWinter hair care 101: Products and best practicesDebbie Carlsonhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-cons-1201-winter-hair-care-20161129-story.html
Old Man Winter plays a number on hair — causing it to frizz, fly away, increase split ends and generally misbehave.

The root cause of winter's bad hair days is dry air. Not only is the outside air drier, but central heating reduces indoor-air humidity, sucking out hair's moisture, said Michael...

]]>Tue, 29 Nov 2016 12:25:00 PST13 holiday light displays worth visiting around the U.S.Eileen Ogintz, Tribune Content Agencyhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-13-holiday-light-displays-around-the-country-20161128-story.html
For a lot of us, heading to holiday light displays has become as big a tradition as Christmas trees and cookies.

"It gets me ready for the holidays," said one woman I met at Disneyland one Thanksgiving weekend, where many families come every year to ride holiday-themed attractions and marvel at...

]]>Tue, 29 Nov 2016 07:36:00 PSTMammogram at 90? Research says some women may benefitKathleen Dohenyhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-mammograms-until-age-90-health-1207-20161129-story.html
Women who think they're too old to worry about mammograms may want to reconsider the age at which their breast cancer screening years are behind them, a new study suggests.

Based on an analysis of nearly 7 million mammograms over a seven-year period, "the benefit continues with increasing age up...

]]>Tue, 29 Nov 2016 08:50:00 PSTBogota's coffee culture wakes upSteve Dolinskyhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-bogota-colombia-coffee-travel-1211-20161128-story.html
The group of well-dressed professionals had several options for their midafternoon coffee break: espresso, Chemex, French press or vacuum. And these only referred to the type of extraction they wanted. Additional decisions still had to be made with regard to the origin, elevation and length of...
]]>Tue, 29 Nov 2016 07:16:00 PSTShopping at Target to support LGBTQ rights? Go a step furtherHeidi Stevenshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-target-boycott-lgbtq-project-fierce-balancing-1128-20161128-column.html
I'm all for LGBTQ rights, and I'm all for spending copious amounts of money at Target.

But as much as I'd love to attach a halo of virtue to my credit card balance, I'm not sure shopping at a big-box store counts as living out my values.

In case you've missed the brewing retail saga: The American...

]]>Mon, 28 Nov 2016 10:18:00 PSTIs friends-first approach key to lasting relationship?Leslie Mannhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-friends-first-relationships-family-1129-20161128-story.html
Who is more likely to remain together — the couple who were friends before they became romantic or the couple who sizzled from Day One?

Janet Nast, 58, and Tom Carter, 66, of Bremerton, Wash., vote "friends first." Well before they married in 2003, they were strictly friends — as in separate booths...

]]>Mon, 28 Nov 2016 08:01:00 PST2017's best in travelhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-2017-best-in-travel-20161102-photogallery.html
Trying to plan your 2017 adventures? Lonely Planet has come out with its recommendations for places that must be experienced in the new year. Lonely Planet's travel experts consider topicality, excitement and wow factor when choosing the top countries, cities, regions and best-value destinations...
]]>Wed, 23 Nov 2016 10:27:00 PSTThe cost of caring for a son with microcephaly—for 53 yearsBarbara Altmanhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-caring-for-a-son-with-microcephaly-20161128-story.html
We have heard many reports in the past year about the spread of the Zika virus and the extreme brain damage it can cause to unborn children, but it can be difficult to understand what that means for families. As a woman who has mothered such a child for the past 53 years, let me share some of the...
]]>Mon, 28 Nov 2016 09:34:00 PSTPower Plates up the ante on workout routinesChris Rovzarhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-power-plates-workout-routines-20161128-story.html
I used to write for a gossip column at the New York Daily News, interviewing celebrities on red carpets, asking endless infuriating questions like, "Who are you wearing?" or "What's your hair secret?" (Celebrity hair, it turns out, is full of secrets.)

Occasionally, if an actor or actress had gone...

]]>Mon, 28 Nov 2016 06:48:00 PSTWould a Clinton voter date a Trump supporter? Actually, the outlook is goodLisa Bonoshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-could-clinton-and-trump-supporters-date-20161123-story.html
Casey Shea is a moderate who voted for Hillary Clinton. All of her ex-boyfriends, she says, have been Republicans. Before this year's presidential election, those political differences didn't matter much. It was as though her boyfriends merely had different tastes in alcohol, as though "they liked...
]]>Wed, 23 Nov 2016 23:00:00 PSTNorwegian Air passenger gets sick, wants credit for canceled flightChristopher Elliotthttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-norwegian-air-canceled-flight-refund-travel-1129-20161121-story.html
I recently was supposed to fly from New York to London on Norwegian Air. I became ill and saw a doctor two days before my flight and was diagnosed with a viral infection. I hoped that I would be well enough to travel as planned, but on the morning of my flight, my doctor advised me that I was too...
]]>Sat, 26 Nov 2016 23:00:00 PSTNo joke, fruitcake gets the royal treatment in DresdenAmy S. Eckerthttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-stollen-fruitcake-dresden-travel-1129-20161121-story.html
Fruitcake. It's the butt of jokes this time of year.

But in Dresden, Germany, fruitcake — or, more properly, stollen — is the food of kings. And the stuff of celebrations.

On Dec. 3, Dresden honors its beloved fruitcake with the annual Stollenfest, launching the Advent season with a sugar-frosted...

]]>Thu, 24 Nov 2016 23:00:00 PSTHow to drop a hint about a gift you want for ChristmasAndreea Ciulachttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-social-graces-christmas-gift-hint-1129-20161122-story.html
Q: You already know what you want for Christmas this year. How do you plant the idea in your partner's mind?

Some people are sensitive to subtleties, while others need to be knocked over the head to get the hint.

Instead of being obvious, talk about liking the general category, and then zero in...

]]>Wed, 23 Nov 2016 23:00:00 PSTBuffalo's reborn Canalside pulses with energy year-roundLisa Lubinhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-buffalo-reborn-canalside-travel-1211-20161122-story.html
Back in the day, the Erie Canal turned Buffalo into a bustling bastion of industry and commerce — until trains and automobiles rendered the canal obsolete.

Today, the city is in the throes of more transformation, shaking off its Rust Belt past and embracing the waterways that helped build it. Nowhere...

]]>Wed, 23 Nov 2016 23:00:00 PSTThese medicines often send Americans to ERsKaren Pallaritohttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-adverse-drug-events-er-health-1130-20161123-story.html
An estimated one in 250 Americans lands in the hospital emergency department each year because of a medication-related reaction or problem, a new federal study finds.

Among adults 65 and older, the rate is about one in 100, the study authors said.

Remarkably, the medicines causing the most trouble...

]]>Wed, 23 Nov 2016 23:00:00 PSTGay men increasingly turn to surrogates to have babiesNara Schoenberghttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-gay-men-having-babies-health-1130-20161123-story.html
Cliff Hastings and Ron Hoppe-Hastings sailed through the vows at their 2011 civil union ceremony, until they got to the part about entering into fatherhood together.

]]>Wed, 23 Nov 2016 06:59:00 PSTBaking with kids a reminder that quick isn't always the best fixHeidi Stevenshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-reminders-to-slow-down-balancing-1127-20161122-column.html
I'm finding an unusual amount of comfort in home improvement shows lately.

I have a little routine at my gym. I get on the elliptical — always the same machine, second from the end — plug in my earbuds and watch 30 minutes of whatever HGTV is offering.

"Love It or List It," "Property Brothers,"...

]]>Wed, 23 Nov 2016 06:32:00 PSTUrban food markets take off in DenverJosh Noelhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-urban-food-markets-denver-travel-1211-20161122-story.html
Ask anyone who has lived for at least a few years in this gateway to the Rocky Mountains, and they'll say Denver has changed.

It's younger and edgier, and it bubbles with an energy wholly absent when the city was "nothing but a big ol' cow town in the early '80s," as one local said. Like most places,...

]]>Wed, 23 Nov 2016 07:42:00 PSTI fell for a narcissist, then America voted for one — how can we avoid their charm?Jon Shadelhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-dating-a-narcissist-now-america-has-one-for-president-20161123-story.html
In June 2015, when Donald Trump descended the golden escalator in Trump Tower to launch his presidential campaign, something about his egotistical rhetoric felt uncomfortably familiar.

A few weeks earlier, I had worked up the courage to walk out on a guy who had isolated me from my friends and...

]]>Wed, 23 Nov 2016 11:01:00 PSTNon-Muslims vow to add their names to a Muslim registry. Would that help or harm?Heidi Stevenshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-ways-to-combat-islamophobia-balancing-1122-20161122-column.html
President-elect Donald Trump's selection of retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn for national security adviser has added to a growing sense of fear that Trump's administration could implement a database to keep tabs on Muslims in America, a campaign promise made by Trump last fall.

Rides on these massive mammals aren't allowed at this refuge run by the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, or WFFT, a haven for rescued animals — including 17 elephants — that's nearly three...

]]>Tue, 22 Nov 2016 12:49:00 PSTPAWS Fur Ball: Tail-wagging good time for rescue animalsCandace Jordanhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-sun-1127-candid-candace-20161122-column.html
The 15th annual PAWS Chicago Fur Ball was held Nov. 18 at the Drake Hotel. More than 700 guests, many with four-legged friends in tow, enjoyed a night of fundraising for the Midwest's largest no-kill shelter. Longtime supporters and board members Judy and Howard Tullman were the honorary co-chairs...
]]>Tue, 22 Nov 2016 16:01:00 PSTRefugee women find friendship, income in making scarves for ChicagoansAlison Bowenhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-refugees-loom-scarves-family-1114-20161122-story.html
Peering at the piece of paper, Saleemah Hammadi evaluated the pattern, a scarf with draping fringe. Scrunching her nose, she picked up a knitting needle. Put it down. Shook her head.

"Too big."

She knows her needles. As a girl in Iraq, her mother taught her how to sew. Classes in a Baghdad classroom...

The Saturday before that, I was in a car with Iowa Hawkeyes gear headed to a college football game at a stadium advertising farm...

]]>Wed, 23 Nov 2016 12:23:00 PSTHow to buy whiskeyJoseph Hernandezhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-cons-1124-whiskey-how-to-buy-20161122-story.html
Draw a large circle, and label it "whiskey." Inside, draw five smaller circles — making sure they don't intersect — label these American, Irish, Scotch, Canadian and Japanese. In American, you can draw one more circle, labeled Bourbon.

This is the simplest explanation of whiskey. An oversimplification,...

]]>Tue, 22 Nov 2016 14:19:00 PSTWhen vacation is over, volunteers bring adopted dogs back to U.S.Andrea Sachshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-volunteers-needed-to-bring-animals-to-america-20161122-story.html
On a recent trip to Colombia, I traveled light with two bags, a banana and no live animals. On the return, I subtracted the fruit and added a third carrier - and a wiggly dog named Max.

To unknowing eyes, I was just a typical traveler with a strong pet attachment. But in truth, I was a flight volunteer...

]]>Tue, 22 Nov 2016 07:34:00 PSTResist holiday overspending with tips from expertsDebbie Carlsonhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-cons-1124-holiday-shopping-overspending-20161122-story.html
Overspending at this time of year can be a serious problem, leading to a holiday hangover in January, when credit card bills are due.

To prevent a buildup of shopping anxiety and binge buying during the season, shopping and finance experts offered some tips to help shoppers navigate stores.

]]>Tue, 22 Nov 2016 06:53:00 PSTCan 60 million acts of kindness change the world?Heidi Stevenshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-60-million-acts-of-kindness-balancing-1121-20161121-column.html
Here's my hope for the next four years — one of my hopes, anyway.

That we take the proverbial pendulum — the one that swings this way or that way every time there's a major upset in Washington, D.C. — and we push it toward kindness.

That we actively look around for kindness, and when we don't see...

]]>Mon, 21 Nov 2016 10:27:00 PSTAs reports of hate crimes spike postelection, Muslim women turn to self-defenseSamantha Schmidthttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-muslim-women-self-defense-against-hate-crimes-20161121-story.html
Zaineb Abdulla says she was about 8 years old the first time someone spit on her for being Muslim. The 24 year old - who wears a hijab, weighs 105 pounds and stands just over 5 feet tall - is used to feeling the need to protect herself.

Through her role as vice president of an organization called...

]]>Mon, 21 Nov 2016 13:27:00 PST12 party planning tips: A baby boomer's advice for millennialsBill Daleyhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-millennial-party-tips-family-1122-20161118-story.html
Millennials have it rough, or so it seems based on conversations in story meetings (and personal observations of my own 23-year-old daughter). They can't, apparently, balance their own checkbooks, write in cursive, get their own health insurance before they're 26, or leave large areas of skin unadorned....
]]>Mon, 21 Nov 2016 06:08:00 PSTStylish goods for your dog and homehttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-stylish-dog-consumer-1124-20161121-photogallery.html
Our favorite dog gear from chic collars to beautiful beds.
]]>Mon, 21 Nov 2016 15:42:00 PSTPoetry in motion: Tracing Bob Dylan's Minnesota rootsKurt Chandlerhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-tracing-bob-dylan-roots-minnesota-travel-1204-20161121-story.html
Ten years ago, a true-blue Bob Dylan fan in Hibbing, Minn., persuaded city officials to name a local street after its native son.

"Bob Dylan Drive" is just a five-block stretch of 7th Avenue, leading past the songwriter's childhood home and high school. But it's a mecca to Dylan followers, who...

]]>Mon, 21 Nov 2016 07:52:00 PST5 ways to help your child survive the social turmoil of middle schoolPhyllis L. Fagellhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-5-ways-to-survive-middle-school-20161121-story.html
I recently asked my middle school students to share their social concerns by writing thoughts on index cards that they dropped in a shoe box. Some were predictable - uneasiness about friends elbowing them to the side or annoyance that classmates can't keep secrets. In one less typical response,...
]]>Mon, 21 Nov 2016 11:14:00 PSTCouples desperate for children turn to crowdfunding fertilitySuzanne Woolleyhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-couples-desperate-for-children-turn-to-crowdfunding-fertility-20161020-story.html
Humans, like other animals, live to reproduce. And when they can't, they're willing to pay a lot for a helping hand. In America, some use credit cards, 401(k)s, and even loans to pay for in vitro fertilization that can cost as much as $12,000 for each round.

The newest way to fund the family unit...

]]>Mon, 21 Nov 2016 08:53:00 PSTCarrie Fisher talks 'Star Wars' and Harrison Ford in new memoir 'Princess Diarist'Donald Liebensonhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-books-1123-princess-diarist-carrie-fisher-20161121-story.html
It would not take a genius to discern how Carrie Fisher's memoir, "The Princess Diarist" would be received by the uber-nerds on "The Big Bang Theory." Sheldon's haughty derision comes to mind. "Star Wars" looms large in the "Big Bang" universe, and none of its original core trio had yet written...
]]>Mon, 21 Nov 2016 10:32:00 PSTHow fashion is drawing political battle lines after the Trump electionRobin Givhanhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-fashion-political-battle-lines-after-the-trump-election-20161121-story.html
From the presidential campaign to the transition of power, fashion has been a point of tension and protest - not just because of what people were wearing but for where it was made, who was selling it and what name was on the label. Hillary Clinton's white pantsuits had some folks recalling suffragettes,...
]]>Mon, 21 Nov 2016 10:16:00 PSTCatching up with iconic designer Diane von FurstenbergDavid Syrekhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-fashion-1128-diane-von-furstenberg-interview-20161118-story.html
Diane von Furstenberg is one of the rare designers who are truly household names, Most often associated with her iconic wrap dress, she's been dressing women in her instantly recognizable style for over 40 years.

I caught up with the legendary designer at Neiman Marcus, while she was in town to...

]]>Fri, 18 Nov 2016 15:56:00 PSTI don't like my partner smoking pot. What should I do?Andreea Ciulachttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-social-graces-partner-smoking-pot-1122-20161118-story.html
Q: Your partner is a recreational marijuana smoker, and it's bothering you. What do you say?

Addressing cannabis use in a relationship shouldn't be approached any differently than the discussion of whether the toilet seat should be up or down.

If it bothers you, be open and forward about it.

Try...

]]>Fri, 18 Nov 2016 11:40:00 PST‘Nature is the great equalizer’: A black couple’s road trip discovering the national parksHeidi Stevenshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-black-visitors-national-parks-balancing-1120-20161117-column.html
A few years ago, a dear friend and I traveled to the Grand Canyon — a trip we'd talked about taking for a decade before we actually made it happen.

It was my third visit to the copper-colored wonder of the world, but my friend had never been. I grew up with parents who drove us all over the United...

The drug, called palbociclib (Ibrance), was approved in the United States last year for treating advanced cases of ER-positive breast cancer. That means the cancer uses the hormone estrogen...

]]>Fri, 18 Nov 2016 10:59:00 PSTThanksgiving inspiration: 20 trendy dining roomshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-dining-rooms-thanksgiving-20161114-photogallery.html
Thanksgiving is around the corner, which means it's time to spruce up your formal eating area. Take some inspiration from these stylish dining rooms, so you can wow your friends and family.
]]>Fri, 18 Nov 2016 11:11:00 PSTCDC reveals top 5 causes of deathhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-top-5-causes-of-death-health-1123-20161117-story.html
Heart disease tops the list of what's most likely to kill you or someone you love, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC recently revealed the five leading causes of death among Americans under age 80 for 2014. After heart disease, cancer was the most likely cause...

]]>Fri, 18 Nov 2016 07:10:00 PSTCelebrating Friendsgiving, a Thanksgiving party for friendsTribune news serviceshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-celebrating-friendsgiving-a-thanksgiving-party-for-friends-20161118-story.html
Thanksgiving is traditionally a day for gathering with your family and eating turkey, but there's a twist on the holiday as a purely social gathering, and it's called Friendsgiving. The menu might include anything from beer and cheese fries to cocktails and salmon. But instead of the host slaving...
]]>Tue, 15 Nov 2016 10:10:00 PSTHoliday happenings across the MidwestPhil Martyhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-christmas-midwest-events-travel-1127-20161109-story.html
Here are some of the more interesting events, deals, websites and other travel tidbits that have come across our desk recently:

•The Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake, Wis., holds its annual Old World Christmas Market on Dec. 2-11. Reminiscent of Germany's popular Christkindlesmarkts, the event features...

]]>Fri, 18 Nov 2016 07:01:00 PSTWe shouldn't be afraid to use the word 'vagina'Danielle Braffhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-vagina-word-ban-family-1129-20161116-story.html
Michelle Medvin taught her son the proper words to describe his anatomy, including his penis.

So the production manager was distraught when her 3-year-old came home from his Brookfield day care with a new name for his penis: goodies.

"They told us they use pet terms because some parents aren't...

]]>Thu, 17 Nov 2016 06:54:00 PSTSo what are kids reading these days? A whole lot of 'Wimpy Kid'Heidi Stevenshttp://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-top-25-most-read-kids-books-balancing-1117-20161117-column.html
'Diary of a Wimpy Kid," author Jeff Kinney's delightful tale of a hapless middle schooler named Greg, was read by fourth-graders across the United States more than any other book last year.

Lily Alter's freshman English teacher at Oak Park River Forest High School, Lynn Gilbertsen, asked her students to write mock grant proposals, and Alter decided to seek funds for feminine care products for girls and women who are homeless.